Life from the banks of Stag Creek.

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

This was such a sweet video that we received from Compassion International, and I just had to share it. We are so thankful that we get to be sponsors of these precious kids! Hope your Thanksgiving is filled with lots of thank-full things too!

And it’s a girl! A precious adorable sweet-as-can-be beautiful dreamy girl! Ok, I might be a little sleep deprived. Or a little in love. :O)

You did it again our big sweet girl! You are a 5 star mare in my book Morning Dove!

Look at that curl – and look really close – see where the curls part direction, and the shaft of the hairs are a darker color than the tips? That is part of the Morning Dove beauty shining through, and what makes her color so interesting. Maybe this little girl is going to have some interesting color going on too.

And oh that darling face.

Wow I just love this little filly!

Mane ringlets spiraling right up to the sun! I have to tell you though, that the last two nights while we were on foal watch, we saw FOUR falling stars coming across the sky and ending their sparkly decent right over the spot that Morning Dove stood! Maybe there was a little sprinkling of stardust and joy falling right out onto this darling foal. Being in the paddock with a mare about to foal can be incredibly delightful. You should try it some time. :O)

Being born is hard work, and our little filly is taking a nap. Just a bit over four hours old in these photos, and already you can see her quality and charm. Thanks Morning Dove – you have made some incredible babies for us!

For anyone new to the Curly Horse, you will notice a difference in the registrations of different Curlies, so I thought I might jot down a little bit of information about the registries available to our breed. I could write a really long article about each one, as each has great things to offer our breed – but I will keep it brief here and just give a little bit about each one to get you going.

The first registry is the American Bashkir Curly Registry. It is the parent registry that was started way back in the 1970’s I believe, and it has kept books and registrations as accurate and up to date as humanly possible and as much as the current times would allow. ABCR was the only registry available when we began raising Curlies, so of course it was where we registered our foals each year. They have maintained a closed stud book for most of their history, so for the most part, ABC horses were usually the product of only ABC registered parents.

The International Curly Horse Organization was the next registry formed in 2000 I believe, and it was opened with the concept of allowing more breeding possibilities by outcrossing with other breeds. (As Ernie Hammrich told me, “We need to get this thing wide open. like the Quarter Horse – look at what an open registration did for them – there are millions of Quarter Horses now, and that’s how we will get the Curly out there too.”) ICHO allowed any horse with a curly coat to be registered, regardless of parentage or prior registrations. With this option, many horses could now be registered by their coat pattern rather than by their pedigree. ICHO also launched many incredible research plans and have been integral in helping to find the “curly” gene which creates the curly coats. They also work closely with the BLM to monitor, protect and rehome mustang Curlies that are still found in the wild today.

And thirdly, Curly Sporthorse International! CSI was introduce to promote sporthorse type Curlies and to improve breeding stock according to those standards. They do a fabulous job promoting these types of Curlies!

So, these are the three main registries for Curly Horses, and some breeders have a preference for one over the other, but it really is just about what will suit one’s needs. You might hear someone say that they do not like one particular registry “because they did such and such” – but in my humble opinion this is an inaccurate way to look at the registries. To look at it like that, would be to think of it more as a club than a registry. A registry is not its secretary, or its president, or the group of people that make up the core that runs it – a registry is a service that keeps track of our horses’ pedigrees and helps promote, preserve, and improve the breed. If a breeder chooses to use a particular registry (or all three), it should be because that registry best exemplifies the direction that breeder wants to go with their program.

For us, we chose to mainly register with ABCR. Registration with ABCR assures that the foal will maintain its pedigree with the parent registry, and any of its offspring will also then be eligible (under the guidelines). If we did not register with ABCR, and a new owner later down the road decided to use ABCR, it would be much more difficult and costly for the progeny to be included back into these books. So that is why we made our choice to stay with ABCR. For economy’s sake, we do not register each foal with every registry – but if their new owner ever chooses to do so, any of our horses can easily be registered with the other registries. Some of our horses are dual registered with ICHO, and triple registered with CSI. And we are always glad to assist new owners in getting ICHO or CSI registrations for any horse purchased from us.

So check them out, investigate, research and see what suits you best – you will find lots of historical information and fun things about each one. But mostly, what I hope you find, are all the neat options for registration as you fall in love with this great breed!

We lost one of our best friends in a fireworks explosion 2 years ago – and we still miss him dearly. We haven’t really enjoyed fireworks displays since that accident, but it doesn’t stop us from being patriots to the core. We love our great country, and we are so incredibly grateful for all the men and women who have fought for its freedom, who have worked to build it up, and who have trusted God to guide them through the years. We are so grateful for the independence that allows us the freedom to worship God freely! A high price has been paid for that freedom, and I remember it. Because of those sacrifices, I get to own land, worship God, and on July 4th, celebrate this great country’s independence. I get to stand out in my field and see a beautiful display of color and light, and it is more beautiful to me than any bought explosives could ever be. I know I am blessed, and I am grateful!

It has been a sweet and precious journey as I got to walk along side my dad this last year and a half. On Sunday, May 29th, he went home. He had struggled enough and the Lord answered our prayers for mercy and peace, and though we are left broken-hearted, we are grateful that he is complete. Whole. New. And we can rejoice that we will see him again – that’s just one of the many promises that God makes for those that love him and follow him. And I will eternally be grateful to God for giving me such an incredible father – humble but always encouraging and loving unconditionally, and living a legacy of faith. He supported me in everything I ever tried, and was there for me when I failed. I can still feel him – as I helped him from the wheelchair to his hospital bed – so thin and weak in my arms, and some of his last cognent moments, when the words could no longer come, were spent just forming the words with his mouth – “I love you”. He wanted to convey that to me – to us – and spent his last energy doing it. I love you too dad!!!! I miss you – I missed you the instant you were gone – I can still feel you’re sweet arm patting my back. Thanks for letting me be there with you, and for being the best dad of all time. I know you’re rejoicing in the presence of the Most High King now, roaming the most beautiful mountains, and I know it will be a glorious day when we each join you there. When it’s our turn for going home.

He’s always been there for me, and it has been a joy to be here for him. He indulged my childhood dream of getting to own a horse, and he has supported me in everything I’ve ever done. He grinned wide with pride when those were good times, and hugged me long and let me know I was loved when there weren’t such good times. I’m sitting with him now, and tomorrow he’s going out to the nursing home for a trial run. He’s just reached the point where he needs 24 hour care, and it might be the safest option for him. He’s always enjoyed coming out to the farm and looking at the horses. He’s also enjoyed looking at their photos on my phone when a hospital bed was his confinement. I feel sure now that he will not ever get to come to the farm again, but I’m posting photos here so they will be available in case I ever get a chance to show him on a screen. These are for you Dad.

Stag Creek Farm

Farming and raising horses have run in my blood since before I was born! And in 1998, a rare breed - the Bashkir Curly Horse entered my life. What a blessing to get to live my dream with these incredible horses! Hope you enjoy the stories and adventures of life on the banks of Stag Creek!